I do not Fear Death, Death fears me. [Base Class][PEACH]

[Blackdrop]

Necro-Knight
The necro-knights are a class of knights trained to both combat and aide the undead. Good necro-knights often serve as keepers of the dead for knightly orders or as members of an elite anti-undead task force. Evil necro-knights often serve as bodyguards for evil necromancers and use their desecrate power to supplement the necromancers undead. Either way necro-knights are forces to be reckoned with if provoked.

Adventures
Necro-Knights adventure for various reasons. Wander the world searching for undead to slay and cities to liberate. Most are drawn to the promise of riches or glory of slaying the ancient undead that inhabit the world.

Alignment
Necro-Knights can be of any lawful alignment.

Religion
Necro-Knights often serve good or neutral gods of death as crypt keepers, watching over tombs, administering the last rights for nightly order, etc. Other that serve evil gods of death as generals of undead armies, bringing death and strife to fill their foul masters ranks.

Races
Human and half-orcs are the only standard races that would be seen as necro-knights. Elves, Half-Elves, and Dwarves are generally to hung up on the idea of manipulating the dead to accept the training of a necro-knight and halflings and gnomes are just to weak to fulfill the requirements of the class.

Other Classes
Necro-Knights get along well with clerics, fighters, and wizards, particularly necromancers. Paladins see good necro-knights as kindred spirits, but hate evil necro-knights with a passion. The chaotic nature of sorcerers, bards, barbarians, and most rogues generally lead to confrontation. Druids and ranger are generally appalled by the necro-knights use of the dead as tools.


Alignment
Any lawful

Hit Die

d10.

Class Skills
The necro-knightss class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(2 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
2 + Int modifier.


Table

Spoiler

Show

Necro-Knight
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+0

|Detect Undead

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+0

|Hide from Undead

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|Consecrate/Desecrate 1/day

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Necrostrike or Undead Servant, Necrofear

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Undead Apotheosis

6th|

+6/+1

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Consecrate/Desecrate 2/day

7th|

+7/+2

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|

8th|

+8/+3

|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|Improved Necrostrike or Improved Undead Servant

9th|

+9/+4

|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|Consecrate/Desecrate 3/day

10th|

+10/+5

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|Undead Apotheosis

11th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|

12th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+8

|

+4

|

+4

|Consecrate/Desecrate 4/day, Greater Necrostrike or Greater Undead Servant

13th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+8

|

+4

|

+4

|Undead Ward

14th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+9

|

+4

|

+4

|

15th|

+15/10/+5

|

+9

|

+5

|

+5

|Consecrate /Desecrate 5/day, Undead Apotheosis

16th|

+16/+11/+6/+1

|

+10

|

+5

|

+5

|Masterful Necrostrike or Masterful Undead Servant

17th|

+17/+12/+7/+2

|

+10

|

+5

|

+5

|

18th|

+18/+13/+8/+3

|

+11

|

+6

|

+6

|Consecrate/Desecrate 6/day

19th|

+19/+14/+9/+4

|

+11

|

+6

|

+6

|

20th|

+20/+15/+10/+5

|

+12

|

+6

|

+6

|Ultimate Necrostrike or Ultimate Undead Servant, Undead Apotheosis[/table]

Class Features

Spoiler

Show

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Necro-Knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields)

Detect Undead (Sp)
At will, a Necro-Knight can use Detect Undead, as the spell.

Hide From Undead (Su)(
Beginning at 2nd level, a necro-knight is invisible to the undead, as the hide from undead spell. The necro-knight can suppress the ability at any time and it ceases to function if the necro-knight is unconscious or dead.

Consecrate or Desecrate (Sp)
At 3rd level, a necro-knight can consecrate or desecrate an area, as the spell, once per day. She can use this ability an additional time per day every three levels after 3rd (twice per day at 6th, three times at 9th, and so forth).

Any necro-knight, regardless of alignment, can Consecrate or Desecrate an area. A good necro-knight (or a neutral necro-knight who choose to) can use consecrate and an evil necro-knight (or a neutral necro-knight who choose to) can use Desecrate.

Necrostrike or Undead Servant (Ex)
At 4th level, a necro-knight must select one of two options: the ability necrostrike or an undead servant.

If a necro-knight chooses the necrostrike ability, she charges her weapon with necromantic energy to do extra damage equal to her wisdom bonus and her necro-knight level. Additionally, if the target is an undead with less then 3 HD the target is destroyed. She can use the ability number of times per day equal to her wisdom bonus. This ability does not have any affect on Constructs.

If a necro-knight chooses the undead servant ability, he can summon a medium skeleton, of the same race as the necro-knight, wiht 4 HD. The skeleton is a normal undead but is not affected by the necro-knight's detect undead, hide from undead or consecrate/desecrate powers.

Necrofear (Su)
Beginning at 4th level, a necro-knight is immune to the fear inducing effects of undead monsters except liches.

Undead Apotheosis (Ex)
As time goes by, the necro-knight gains the qualities that are typical of the undead.

At 5th level, the necro-knight gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws made to resist sleep, stun, paralysis, poison, disease. This bonus increases bonus increases to +4 at 15th level.

At 10th level, the necro-knight gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made to resist ability damage, ability drain, and energy drain.

At 20th level, the necro-knight gains 25% resistance to critical hits, as the light fortification armor special ability.

Improved Necrostrike or Improved Undead Servant (Ex)
At 8th level, the necro-knights special abilities increase in power.

If the necro-knight selected necrostrike at 4th level, the power of her attack increases to double her wisdom bonus + her necro-knight level and the HD of the undead the necro-knight can destroy increases to 5. She also can use her ability a number of time a day equal to twice her wisdom bonus.

If the necro-knight selected the undead servant at 4th level, the skeleton gains +2 turn resistance and a increase to 8 HD.

Greater Necrostrike or Greater Undead servant (Ex)
At 12th level, the necro-knights special ability becomes even more powerful.

If the necro-knight selected necrostrike at 4th level, she can now selected individual targets at 120 ft or multiple targets in a 60 ft cone. The HD of the undead that are destroyed by the attack is also increased to 10. Only 10 HD worth of undead are destroyed in the 60 ft cone.

If the necro-knight selected the undead servant at 4th level, the skeleton gains a turn resistance of +4, strength and dexterity increase of +4, and gains the feat Weapon Focus in a weapon of the necro-knights choice. It HD also increase to 12.

Undead Ward
At 13th level, the necro-knight become immune to a liches fear aura and paralyzing touch and a vampires Domination and Energy Drain ability.

Masterful Necrostrike or Masterful Undead Servant (Ex)
At 16th level, the necro-knights special ability jumps in power again.

If the necro-knight selected necrostrike at 4th level, the power of her attack increases to triple her wisdom bonus + her necro-knight level. The HD of the undead destroyed in the attack also increases to 15 and the total HD of the undead destroyed in the cone also increases to 15.

If the necro-knight selected the undead servant at 4th level, the skeleton gains a turn resistance of +8 and it's HD increase to 16. The skeleton also gains a supernatural Fear Aura. Any creature with less the 15 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the skeleton mus succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the necro-knights level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affect by the same skeleton's aura for 24 hours.

Ultimate Necrostrike or Ultimate Undead Servant (Ex)
At 20th level the necro-knights special power reaches its pinnacle.

If the necro-knight selected necrostrike at 4th level, the damage done by the attack increase to triple her wisdom bonus + 1d6 points per her necro-knight level. The HD of the undead destroyed in the attack also increases to 20 and the total HD of the undead destroyed in the cone also increases to 20.

If the necro-knight selected the undead servant at 4th level, the skeleton becomes immune to turning, a +8 strength and dexterity bonus, and gains Weapon Specialization in the weapon chosen at 12th level and it HD increases to 20.

Ex-Necro-Knights
If a necro-knight ceases to be lawful, he loses all the powers bestowed upon him by class, except for the undead apotheosis. The only way for a fallen necro-knight to redeem himself his either to become lawful or spend 30 days in intense study, learning the ways of the necro-knight all over again.

[Arakune]

the bonus ability points your undead servant gains are cumulative?

[Blackdrop]

Yes, it is. The turn resistance isn't however.

[DracoDei]

Hmmm... were you by any chance partially inspired by my "Master of Life and Undeath" Prestige Class?

Speaking of which I need to consider adding Some sort of fortification to the abilities of that class.

[Blackdrop]

No, I just got on yesterday and thought, "I want to homebrew something." This was the end result.

[DracoDei]

But they would make good partners I should think...

[Blackdrop]

Yes, they do.

[Dancing_Zephyr]

Nice class. I hate how in DnD everything that has to do with death is evil (looking at you Deathwatch).

Just a few comments/suggestions. How long does the Necromantic Strike last? Does it do damage only to undead, or to everything (even constructs)? If Necromantic Strike does do that, it is a little broken. at level 20 you get wis modifier*3 and 20d6 extra damage for an attack. Thats alot of damage for not having any restrictions.

The Fear Aura on the Undead Servant is moot. At level 20, you will not be fighting 5HD creatures. Using it will only scare the locals.

I love the fluff of this class. Great Idea.

[Blackdrop]

The damage dealt by the attack is dealt to everything, but I may put constructs on the immune list now that you mention it. Undead, however, are destroyed by it with the strength of the undead killed by the attack increasing as you increase in levels.

Do you think I should up the HD for the Fear Aura.

[Blackdrop]

Constructs are now immune to necrostrike, HD on the Undead Servants Fear Aura is up, and details on a fallen necro-knight becoming a non-fallen one is also good.

Any other suggestions/comments/questions/concerns?

[Lord Tataraus]

Hm, not bad. I really don't see anything unbalanced, though I worry that the undead servant is weak at low levels, especially compared to how powerful the necrostrike cone is. I would suggest having the undead servant increase in hit dice as you do and also allow to switch out for more powerful versions like ghosts and ghouls. Good job!

[Blackdrop]

Done.


Anything else?

[Hazkali]

The first three levels are a little weak, especially compared with the abilities of a Paladin. For example, a Paladin gets Smite Evil and Detect Evil at 1st level, whereas this class only gets Detect Undead which is much less useful both outside and inside combat.

[Blackdrop]

Yeah, but it compenates by being stronger at slightly higher levels. Necro-strike begins to kill Smite Evil, undead apotheosis allows for more powerful all around character, and the undead ward nullifies the more frightening aspects, in my opinion, of liches and vampires.

[JoshuaZ]

"a paladin is immune to the fear inducing effects of undead monsters except liches" - I assume that "paladin" is meant to be necro-knight.

[Blackdrop]

Whoops! I was using the paladin and ranger as reference on how to phrase abilities. It's fixed now.